Local Business Old Europe Duvet Co. selected as a finalist for the 2015 Mompreneur® Award of Excellence

Milton’s Own Nicole Horn of Old Europe Duvet Co. is proud to announce that she has been named a finalist for the 2015 Mompreneur® Award of Excellence. The winner will be announced at The 2015 National Mompreneurs® Conference on Saturday, March 7th, 2015.

For Immediate Release:

Thursday February 19th, 2015 – Milton, ON – The Top 12 finalists have been selected and local Mompreneur Nicole Horn of Old Europe Duvet Co. has been named one of Canada’s Top moms in business by her peers and the community. The task of determining who will win The 2015 Mompreneur® Award of Excellence will now be left up to an expert panel of judges. The winner will be chosen based on a set of specific criteria including track record of success, innovation of business idea, and impact on community.

Old Europe Duvet Co. is a Canadian Luxury Down Duvet and Pillow manufacturing company located in Milton, ON. Old Europe Duvet Co. was opened in 1982 by the Horn family, and is now in their 33rd year of operation. “I am very honoured to have been selected by my customers and peers for consideration of this award. I am extremely proud to maintain our manufacturing operations in Canada, and employ local Milton residents while doing so”.

The 2015 Mompreneur® Award of Excellence presented by TruShield Insurance will be handed out at The National Mompreneurs® Conference taking place over 2 days during International Women’s Day Weekend, Friday, March 6th, and Saturday March 7th 2015. The conference will take place at the Sheraton Airport Hotel & Conference Centre - 801 Dixon Rd, Toronto, ON.

To interview Nicole Horn about being a finalist or to provide commentary on being a Mompreneur and business leader Please contact:

Nicole Horn

info@oldeuropeduvet.com

905-878-5782

For more information on the Conference & Awards, to obtain a Media Pass or to speak to CEO Maria Locker please contact:

Rania Walker, PR & Media Relations

rania@sparqstreet.com

Phone: 416-258-8953

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About Mompreneur® Showcase Group Inc.

Mompreneur® Showcase Group Inc. (www.TheMOMpreneur.com) is the trusted national network that supports, educates, and empowers moms in business across Canada. With close to 20 satellite locations in Ontario, Mompreneur® groups are now expanding to other provinces in order to connect business women everywhere. www.themompreneur.com

About ParentsCanada

ParentsCanada magazine is one of Canada’s leading resources for parents of newborns to teens. Its focus is on providing parents the tools they need to make positive choices for their families. www.parentscanada.com

About TruShield Insurance

The TruShield Insurance solution was specifically created to provide Canadian small businesses with the insurance coverage they need. TruShield Insurance is the small business division of Federated Insurance Company of Canada, a leading specialized insurance provider. A 100% Canadian owned company, Federated Insurance has been part of the Fairfax family of companies since 1990. Learn more about TruShield Insurance at www.trushieldinsurance.ca.

In the Summer of 1964, my husband Bob and I were fortunate to have 2 months of holidays together.We excitedly planned a trip to Europe where we arranged to rent a Volkswagon and to alternately camp and stay in low cost hotels suggested in the book "Europe on $10. dollars a Day".

Travel was so very different in those days.In preparation for the trip, I made 3 dresses on my sewing machine, all "shift" (shapeless sack) style, to wear in the cities.Pants and shorts for women were not allowed in cathedrals, museums, and restaurants,and were frowned upon on the streets.On the plane, Bob wore a suit and tie and I wore high heels and nylons with my unflattering yellow dress.The stewardesses were meticulously groomed with perfect hairdos and flawless makeup.To be accepted for their job, they had to be graduate nurses and were chosen because of their attractive appearance, pleasant personality and trim figures.I was in awe, wishing I could be as perfect.

Camping was great fun and staying in the small cheap hotels was a wonderfully broadening experience. Many had circular staircases winding up five flights.Most had bathrooms down the hall to share with other guests, some strange and questionable.We washed our feet in the bidets in the rooms, not knowing what they were for.We were young, open minded and flexible. We loved every minute.

The one experience that changed my life in years to come was a small hotel in Luxembourg.We walked into our room and were amazed by the giant pillow perched on our bed, hugely fluffy and fat.We just stared not knowing what it was.Covering this mound was a beautiful, fine cotton, white, pillow case, crisply ironed.We didn't know whether to treat it as a mattress and lie on top, or climb under.We decided it must be a substitute for a blanket and we climbed under. However, because there was no sheet, we thought we must climb right into the big pillow case as well.And that is how we slept, so cozy and warm , in contrast to other nights we had spent in a tent.

Throughout the rest of our trip there were more beautiful duvets - quite a variety- some heavy as lead, and some light as air.We took many photos of duvets hanging and airing out over windowsils all over Europe, the customary way to freshen them every morning.

The vision of that very first sight of a duvet in Luxembourg remained prominently embedded in my mind for years until the mid 80's when I decided to try making a duvet with some fluffy goose down supplied by a friend in upholstery.It took a few years to perfect my different weights for the different models,and turn my hobby into a fullfledged, world renowned business.

I am retired now, and my business is in the very capable hands of my daughter-in-law Nicole.Happily it is still in the family and growing year by year.

Old Europe Duvet is famous for personal customer attention, and our faithful followers return year after year for this individual service and for our unique impressive, handmade product.

Interestingly, I still have the very first duvet I made almost 35 years ago, still fluffy and airy, just as impressive as the one we first experiencedlong ago, travelling in Europe

If you order a duvet today or tomorrow, you will receive $45 off! Order must be placed Thursday November 27th or Friday November 28th, 2014. Orders placed through the website will be credited back $45 to method of payment, and telephone orders will be credited before processing. Each duvet ordered qualifies for discount.

BONUS: Guess the location of the photo taken above and send your guess to info@oldeuropeduvet.com Correct entries will be entered in a draw for One Queen down Medium fill pillow to be shipped anywhere in the world! Value $135 CAD + shipping. Contest starts now and continues until Monday Dec 1, 2014 at midnight. Good Luck!

Hello followers :). I haven't done a blog post since February 2014, YIKES! We have been so busy this year, in fact this has been our BEST year in 32 years of business, and the year isn't even over yet! (Thank you to our wonderful customers for that). We have formed some new partnerships, and have some very interesting projects happening.

Very recently we launched our sister website for online fabric sales called www.amaterialgirl.ca I saw a huge need in our local area for fabric, specifically good cottons, that I started the website to compliment our business. I had requests from customers to make duvet covers, but we couldn't find interesting fabric, and when we did, it was very expensive to ship it to Milton, ON. The idea behind this website, is that we can make covers, pillow covers and cases from the fabrics, but also local crafters can now go to the website and order a yard or two of really neat and colourful cottons. Many of the cottons I am importing are organics, so there is lots of variety. Shipping for the fabric is anywhere in Canada, and local residents can pick up their order free of shipping charges. We are really excited about this new venture!

The primary reason we have been so busy at Old Europe Duvet is that we are doing LOTS of custom orders. Customers are discovering us all over the world, and ordering specific sizes and fills for their duvets, and also pillows. We are able to construct our duvets in any size to fit duvet covers that a customer may already own, which is very unique in our business. We look forward to creating more custom orders.

A quick recap of some of the areas we have sent products to this year...Netherlands, Japan, Sweden, Australia, China, Belgium, New Zealand, Argentina, All over the United States (Maine, Vermont, Massachusetts, New York, New Hampshire, Pennsylvania, Connecticut, Maryland, Ohio, Virginia, Michigan, North Carolina, South Carolina, Florida, Tennessee, Minnesota, Texas, Colorado, Arizona, California, Washington, Montana) and so many across Canada it is hard to keep track! (Nova Scotia, Newfoundland and Labrador, New Brunswick, PEI, Quebec, Ontario, Manitoba, Saskatchewan, Manitoba, Alberta, British Colombia, Yukon, Northwest Territories and Nunavut)-yep, that's every Province! We still have a few months left to go, we will see where our duvets travel :)

Old Europe Duvet has been nominated (Nicole) for Mompreneur of the year! You can access the voting link here. One vote per day is allowed, and The Mompreneur, Canada's Business Resource for women is giving prizes to some of the voters, so you could win too! Your support is greatly appreciated.

]]>info@oldeuropeduvet.com (Nicole Horn)Old Europe DuvetSun, 23 Feb 2014 22:23:33 +0000Our very first Public Open House in Milton Ontario, Feb 22 at the Harrop Househttp://oldeuropeduvet.com/blog/entry/our-very-first-public-open-house-in-milton-ontario-feb-22-at-the-harrop-house.html
http://oldeuropeduvet.com/blog/entry/our-very-first-public-open-house-in-milton-ontario-feb-22-at-the-harrop-house.htmlI am happy to announce the details for our very first public open house to be held at The Harrop House in Milton, Ontario http://thegalleryupstairs.com/ on Saturday Feb 22 from 10am-3pm in the main house, upstairs. It will be a one day opportunity to touch and feel our products, and explore the beauty of the gallery at the same time! I will have products to test, products for sale, and contests to enter! Feel free to stop by to learn about down and the many benefits it offers. I am happy to discuss custom requirements as well. I hope to see you there! (The Harrop is lovely if you want to eat lunch or dinner while you shop)]]>info@oldeuropeduvet.com (Nicole Horn)Old Europe DuvetMon, 03 Feb 2014 02:13:00 +0000Meet Arlene Dickinson! One lucky Ontario Mompreneur can do it!http://oldeuropeduvet.com/blog/entry/meet-arlene-dickinson-one-lucky-ontario-mompreneur-can-do-it.html
http://oldeuropeduvet.com/blog/entry/meet-arlene-dickinson-one-lucky-ontario-mompreneur-can-do-it.html

It's NO secret. I LOVE everything that Arlene Dickinson is, and stands for in Canadian business, as a woman and as a mother. I admire her SO much that I wanted to share a very unique opportunity with one other woman, mother and business owner. For the upcoming 2014 Conference and Awards Gala, sponsored by The Mompreneur, Canada's Business Resource For Women, I purchased one EXTRA VIP ticket to give away! Yes, that is correct. You can be one of only 30 women who get a Private Meet and Greet with Arlene (Tickets sold out really fast!) See below for the VIP ticket details. I know, I know, you want to know how to get it right? Write me a letter (yes a letter!) explaining why you want to meet Arlene, and what it would mean to you and your business. Your letter will be judged by a panel, and 5 finalists will be chosen. I will determine the winner from those 5. The most compelling entry, according to me, will win the VIP ticket for the conference. The ticket is NON-Transferrable. You must be available to attend the conference in person, and cannot be given to another person. The ticket will be issued at the conference to the winner by myself. You must find your own source of transportation to the conference. Contest is open to residents of Ontario. Submit your letter to Old Europe Duvet Co. Box 237, Milton, ON. L9T 4N9, OR online through this page, and have it in my hands by March 1st 2014 to be eligible. Like my page and let me know you have a submission on the way! By submitting an entry, you agree that a portion of, or all of your letter may be posted on our Website, Facebook Page or Twitter feed. Get writing!!!!

]]>info@oldeuropeduvet.com (Nicole Horn)Old Europe DuvetFri, 03 Jan 2014 23:41:54 +0000Ice stormhttp://oldeuropeduvet.com/blog/entry/ice-storm.html
http://oldeuropeduvet.com/blog/entry/ice-storm.htmlWe are without power due to the Ontario Ice storm. Trees are down and blocking entrance to office. We can still receive emails remotely, but the answering machine is down at this time. Thank you for your patience.]]>info@oldeuropeduvet.com (Nicole Horn)Old Europe DuvetSun, 22 Dec 2013 20:58:59 +0000****Shipping Notice****http://oldeuropeduvet.com/blog/entry/shipping-notice.html
http://oldeuropeduvet.com/blog/entry/shipping-notice.htmlThis is a notice to advise customers that we are currently booked into the end of this week for orders to be shipped to the US or Canada. Normally we advise that items will take 2-4 weeks to the US (not including any time spent in customs). The deadline for overseas orders has passed to receive in time for Christmas. In Canada, we can advise you on an individual basis (based on proximity of shipping). Thank you. ]]>info@oldeuropeduvet.com (Nicole Horn)Old Europe DuvetTue, 10 Dec 2013 01:50:17 +0000They sure do go fast!http://oldeuropeduvet.com/blog/entry/they-sure-do-go-fast.html
http://oldeuropeduvet.com/blog/entry/they-sure-do-go-fast.htmlThe winner emailed me this morning with the correct answer to the question, "Name 3 places that we have shipped our products overseas". I am just getting around to updating, and the answers she gave were Japan, England and Australia which are all correct! Congrats to Jennifer, 2 tickets to the One of a Kind Toronto Show and sale coming your way! NH]]>info@oldeuropeduvet.com (Nicole Horn)Old Europe DuvetSat, 23 Nov 2013 21:55:44 +0000One of a Kind Show and Sale Toronto Nov 28-Dec 2http://oldeuropeduvet.com/blog/entry/one-of-a-kind-show-and-sale-toronto-nov-28-dec-2.html
http://oldeuropeduvet.com/blog/entry/one-of-a-kind-show-and-sale-toronto-nov-28-dec-2.htmlGood morning! The snow is starting to fall here in Milton this morning, and it looks so beautiful. It is a reminder that Christmas is just around the corner... Next week the Toronto One of a Kind Show and Sale begins on Thursday #OOAKX13. I will be exhibiting in booth Q20 for the first five days of the show only. Look for the booth on the corner with the big fluffy white duvet on the bed!

Would you like to come and visit me? I have 2 more passes to the show available to the first person who can email me at info@oldeuropeduvet.com with the correct answer to the following question --> Name 3 locations overseas that we have shipped products to. Don't know? Just guess! You must make your own way to the show. GO!

]]>info@oldeuropeduvet.com (Nicole Horn)Old Europe DuvetSat, 23 Nov 2013 14:41:58 +0000We have a winner...http://oldeuropeduvet.com/blog/entry/we-have-a-winner.html
http://oldeuropeduvet.com/blog/entry/we-have-a-winner.htmlThe winner of the second set of passes to the One of Kind show in Toronto correctly guessed the location where the photo was taken in our first blog post-Switzerland. It was taken by my brother-in-law MANY years ago. Congratulations! NH]]>info@oldeuropeduvet.com (Nicole Horn)Old Europe DuvetTue, 12 Nov 2013 18:47:05 +00002 more One of a Kind Christmas Show tickets...http://oldeuropeduvet.com/blog/entry/2-more-one-of-a-kind-christmas-show-tickets.html
http://oldeuropeduvet.com/blog/entry/2-more-one-of-a-kind-christmas-show-tickets.htmlHello everyone. Thank you for the amazing response to the first blog entry! I have 2 more passes the Christmas One of a Kind Christmas Show #ooakx13 @ooak_toronto available to the first person who can email me at info@oldeuropeduvet.com with the correct answer to this question--> Where was the photo taken that appeared in the first blog post? The passes are for the Toronto show, you must find your own way to the show. They are valued at $24 for the pair. We will be exhibiting at the show in booth Q20 for the first 5 days only. Please be sure to drop by and say hello Nov 28-Dec 2. GO! NH]]>info@oldeuropeduvet.com (Nicole Horn)Old Europe DuvetTue, 12 Nov 2013 12:15:56 +0000Fluffyduvethttp://oldeuropeduvet.com/blog/entry/fluffyduvet.html
http://oldeuropeduvet.com/blog/entry/fluffyduvet.html

Welcome To Old Europe Duvet Co. blog! A little about us - My name is Nicole, and I am the owner and President of Old Europe Duvet Co. My Mother-in-law started the business in 1982 after travelling to Europe. I met my husband in grade 9, and I grew up alongside his mother learning from her about creating a high quality down filled product. We sew each duvet and pillow shell ourselves, they are NOT imported and filled shells. We cut huge rolls of cotton fabric to specific sizes, sew, and fill the duvet or pillow ON SITE in Milton, Ontario.

We use only the highest qualities and varieties of down to fill our products. ALL of our down types are Canadian processed - which means they are cleaned, sanitized, sorted and graded in Toronto to at or above Canadian standards. We are excited to now be carrying duvets filled with Canadian Eiderdown and Canadian Wild Grey Goose down.

We pride ourselves on great customer service. I believe in the personal touch. I will personally answer each and every email or inquiry that is sent to us. I love chatting with people from all over the world to help them choose the best suited duvet or pillow for their particular needs. We will even custom size, or custom fill any of our products - just ask!

I will try to keep this blog updated with interesting facts and tidbits of information you may find useful or intriguing.

Many of you are aware that for the last five years I have been attending the One of A Kind Christmas show in Toronto in November. I revisited this show after my Mother in law took 13 years off from the show, simply because our customers asked us to go back. I will be back at the show this year starting on November 28-December 2, 2013. I only do the first 5 days of the show, as this is a busy time of year, and 5 days away from the office makes for loads of work! I personally represent Old Europe at the show, so please feel free to stop by and ask me any questions, Booth Q20.

I do have a pair of complimentary admission passes to the show at The Direct Energy Centre, Exhibition Place, Toronto for the first person who emails me with "I want the OOAK passes please!" in the subject line of an email sent to info@oldeuropeduvet.com You must find your own way to the show. The admission value is $24. See you there, and happy dreams! NH